Three more Tuolumne County residents die from COVID-19

Tuolumne County’s death toll from COVID-19 increased to 55 on Tuesday as three more local residents have reportedly lost their lives to the deadly virus.

The three people whose deaths the county Public Health Department announced on Tuesday were identified as a woman in her 70s who was hospitalized, a man in his 80s, and a man in his 90s. Investigations determined their deaths were Covid-related. No information about when or where the three individuals died was released.

There were also 53 new cases of COVID-19 in the county from Saturday through Tuesday, with 35 identified as inmates at the Sierra Conservation Center state prison outside Jamestown. The 1,376 inmates cases at SCC as of Tuesday accounted for 35.7% of the 3,853 total cases confirmed in the county since the pandemic began.

No inmates at the SCC prison have died from COVID-19, according to the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

The county’s new community cases from Saturday through Tuesday included three boys and two girls 17 or younger, four men 18 to 29, one man in his 30s, a man and woman in their 40s, three men and one woman in their 50s, a man in his 60s, and a woman in her 70s.

There were 66 active cases and one Covid-positive individual who was hospitalized as of Tuesday.

While the county’s daily case rate of 13.1 per 100,000 people and testing positive rate of 4% was down slightly from the previous week, it remained in the state’s purple tier for widespread risk of coronavirus infection.

A state vaccine dashboard shared on Tuesday showed 9,434 vaccine doses have been administered in Tuolumne County. The county’s estimated population is about 54,660.

Statistics

Tuolumne County (as of Feb. 16)

Total cases: 3,853 (2,477 community; 1,376 inmates) Deaths: 55

Recovered: 2,356

Active cases: 66

Active hospitalized: 1

Tests conducted: 69,165 (51,145 community; 18,020 inmates) Vaccinations given: 9,434

Calaveras County (as of Feb. 16) Total cases: 1,836 Deaths: 25 Recovered: 1,731

Active cases: 80

Active hospitalized: 1

Tests conducted: 22,586 Vaccinations given: 7,002

California (as of Feb. 16): 3,412,057 total cases; 47,107 deaths; 46,227,725 tests conducted; 6,262,781 vaccines given.

United States (as of Feb. 16): 27,765,267 total cases; 488,432 deaths. World (as of Feb. 16): 109,678,891 total cases; 2,423,443 deaths.

Sources: Tuolumne County Public Health Department, Calaveras County Public Health Division, California Department of Public Health, John Hopkins University.

Testing

When you should get tested: Five days after travel or close contact with others outside of your household; as soon as possible if experiencing symptoms; and/or every 14 to 28 days if regularly working with the public.

Appointments to state testing sites are recommended and can be scheduled at www.lhi.care/covidtesting or by calling (888) 634-1123.

Vaccinations

• The Tuolumne County Public Health Department continues to distribute COVID-19 vaccine doses to people in Phase 1A and Phase 1B-tier 1 of a state vaccine distribution plan, for individuals 70 and older as well as education workers, childcare workers, and emergency services workers. Visit www.tuolumnecounty.ca.gov/1317/covid-vaccine online for more information.

• CVS stores in Sonora and Angels Camp are offering COVID-19 vaccinations for people 65 and older, sign up here: https://www.cvs.com/immunizations/covid-19-vaccine

• Adventist Health Sonora has been hosting weekend vaccination clinics at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds for people 65 and older. Find out more information by going to www.adventisthealthsonora.org/covidvaccine or call (209) 536-5165.